Until the End
by sweetdeal
Summary: Small changes that can change the world. On that eventful night three important changes occurred. This is the story of what happened after that night. AU story, OC main character, Fem!Naru, Alive!Minato, Alive!UchihaClan.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**A/N: **I don't own Naruto.

First fanfiction, so I'm a bit excited and all sorts of nervous. Hope you have fun reading. This prologue will serve as to test the waters, since it's my first time writing.

* * *

Summary: Small changes that can change the world. On that eventful night three important changes occurred. This is the story of what happened after that night.

AU story, OC main character, Fem!Naru, Alive!Minato, Alive!UchihaClan.

* * *

It was a warm and peaceful night in Konohagakure, a land abounding with various different types of trees, wind blowing softly among the fields lifting up the fallen leaves, making them twirl into a hypnotizing spiral dance. The dark sky was painted with as many stars and the eyes could see, like ten million fireflies swaying on a monotonous rhythm, the moonlight drowning out but the brightest of them.

As the nigth growths longer, Konoha's citizens prepare to call off their day, the shops closing... parents bidding goodnight to their kids... just another normal and peaceful night for the ones living in blissful ignorance. Little did they know that most of this interactions would be played one last time this day forward.

Hate would growth like a seed, spreading its sour nectar around the grounds and seeping within its roots.

Pride would corrupt their dignity, in its path creating a deadly curse of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance.

Vengeance would create more death and despair, the creator of eternal silence, perpetuating the cycle for another generation.

Fear would keep heads and spirits low, the final nail on the loop... but fate...fate cannot be taken from us, not entirely.

* * *

Konoha is one of the great five ninja villages, and as such it has many secrets, very well guarded. After all, in this world, knowledge can be one weapon by itself.

One of this secrets was culminating this very same night.

The Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and his wife, Kushina Uzumaki were the epicentre of it.

In a closed and well guarded cave, a baby had just born. A beautiful girl with silky golden hair, blue sapphire eyes and three whisker markings on her cheeks.

"Minato, look at our baby, isn't she beautiful?" Kushina's smile was fragile from the pain of recently giving birth and the strain from the sealing holding the Nine Tails getting weak, but her eyes showed all her love and happiness for her new family.

"A father...I'm a father now ...and you're a mother!" Kushina could only deadpan at his husband's antics.

"We finally meet, Naruko-chan." Kushina said in a whisper while tears started to flow freely from her eyes.

"Alright. I know it's rough just given birth, but we need to completely supress the Nine Tails again!"

Suddenly a slash sound vibrates in the air and a female scream echoes in the room. Minato quickly turns around to see the medical-nin dead bodies on the floor, crimson red blood painting the floor as the tension rises to a new scale. Minato sees a strange man with an orange mask with black strips and wearing a black cloak. This strange man had blood on his kunai and more importantly, was holding their newborn Naruko.

Minato's rage was rapidly rising but he kept it under control, for he knew his rage would be a weapon for his enemy. His daughter's safety was his primordial goal.

"Hurry up and get away from the Jinchuuriki...Don't you care what happens to your little brat?" The strangers voice was in a low tone, almost a whisper.

This caused Minato to quickly react. "Wait! Stay calm!" Minato takes one step in the direction of his daughter.

"Speak for yourself. I'm supremely calm."

And with that the stranger tossed the baby into the air and pierced her with his bloody kunai...

Or would it, if Minato didn't save Naruko with his **Hiraishin no Jutsu** taking her to safety.

* * *

Upon returning, Minato notices that the Nine Tails was about to pierce Kushina with its claws. Thinking quickly, he uses his signature jutsu once more and saves his love from certain death, taking her to their house, the same place where he took Naruko.

"Naruko..." A tired Kushina whispers looking at her baby.

Minato turns around, his fists clenching with such force from his determination to protect his family.

"Minato...thank you..."

And with that Minato the father was no more, in his place the Fourth Hokage took place.

* * *

"Did you notice me..." Minato words were carried away by the wind. In front of him, a giant demon fox with nine tails roared to the skies in rage, unleashing a tremendous killing intent felt by the entire village.

The Nine Tails started gathering a massive amount of chakra. The winds started raging, the ground start shaking, the immeasurable ammount of chakra dwarfing any and all ninjas in the proximity.

A huge ball started forming from that chakra, an attack that would destroy Konoha completely and the surrounding landscape.

Deep red and blue meeting each other, Minato simply stared at the demon fox attack and waited. When the ball of chakra formed, he pulled one of his special three pronged kunai.

His blue eyes showing a coldness and concentration that could only show his determination to save his village, his family. This is much more than his job, this was his and his wife's dream, their home. He wouldn't allow anyone or anything to simply destroy it. Be it ninja, demon or even god himself.

"I won't let you destroy this..." His kunai on his hand and blue deep chakra surrounding it.

The jutsu completed and the Nine Tails unleashed it. A presage of death was to be expected but before the jutsu reached the Fourth Hokage, the ball was sucked in a time-space barrier and the explosion was seen many miles away from the vilage.

Suddenly behind Minato, the masked man tried to quickly grab Minato's neck. But Minato, showing all his speed, slashes at the masked man with his special kunai.

But something unexpected happens. The kunai completely passes through him, like he was just an afterimage.

"I am your opponent." The stranger says chuckling and grabbing Minato's shoulder.

Minato's senses scream danger when he feels his entire being getting sucked into a vortex, so he rushes and, once again, flashes away from the village to safety.

* * *

Minato arrived at his destination, a place where he had his marked kunai on the outskirts of Konoha. He quickly gets up and thinks about his current situation..

'_My attacks passed right through him... What was that jutsu...? I'm worried about the village...but.._.'

Arriving at his location in a familiar vortix the masked man makes his apparence know, interrupting Minato's thoughts.

"Hmph...How did you get so far in just a blink of an eye?" The masked man starts approaching Minato slowly, looking for any non existant opening in Minato's defence.

"There is no hope for you!" And with that the masked man rushed Minato with his chain in hand.

Minato met his opponent's rush mid way, his kunai meeting a long chain.

**Clink**, the sound of metal hiting metal echoes in the forest.

Both fighters were clearly skilled, but their goals were very different. And this difference could be the decisive factor. For the masked man had the time on his side, leaving all of Konoha's destruction to the Nine Tails, he could stall and play on defence. But the Fourth Hokage didn't have that luxury. Everything he loved was in grave danger. This fight had to finish...quickly!

And with that thought, Minato quickly launched several marked three pronged kunai in the air, each one of them firstly seeming like they were in a random position but that would soon be not the case, for there was a pattern. A pattern that spelled death for his enemy.

In a yellow flash, Minato suddenly disappears causing the masked man to start to panic.

But Minato's speed was so high that the masked man's thoughts were interrupted and he was kicked in the jaw, the masked man had no time nor chance for defence.

Minato pressed his advantage for a combo attack following his kick, in consecutive yellow flashes, Minato appeared and disappeared always striking. When he saw his opening to finish the fight, Minato charged a Rasengan in his right hand and charged in... but his attack phases through him...

_'Again this jutsu...I must end this quickly.'_

"You sure are concerned about the village...But... that doesn't mean you can let me out of your sight...does it?"

The masked man raises his right hand and slowly closes it in a fist.

"You must be feeling conflicted, Fourth Hokage." His tone always low and showing no emotions.

_'I..I'll just have to trust that the Third Hokage and the villagers can take care of the Hidden Leaf...'_

_'Right now...'_ Minato flips a marked kunai on his hand '_I've got to focus on finishing this guy off...!'_

And both ninjas charge once again at each other on their deadly duel.

* * *

Meanwhile inside the Hidden Leaf, the Nine Tails was rampaging, destroying the village with little to none opposition.

All hope was gone and despair was in everyone's hearts.

"Don't give up so quickly! We can't shy away, no matter how powerful the force we face! We have a village to protect!" A man with tanned skin, grey hair and a distinct goatee said with a deep and wise voice. He was wearing his black jumpsuit, mesh segments over the lower portions of his limbs, and a green gauntlet that covered much of his right arm. This was the Third Hokage, the God of Shinobi and at the moment the only one capable of saving thousands of lives.

Behind him, ninjas with their face hidden with animal masks. The elite ninja force of Konoha, the ANBU.

"Lets go! Now's the time to gather our forces and drive this thing out of our village!" He shouted to his ninjas that had all but lost all hopes, now his mere presence enough to give everyone a second breath.

With that, every ninja spread around the Nine Tails and started casting every type of ninjutsu they knew at the demon. But the damage was minimum, only served to annoy the demon even more, causing more death and more destruction.

Without any plan, they would all perish and the village be destroyed. When all hope seemed to be forever lost an ANBU ninja announced to the Third Hokage...

"A message from Shikaku Nara! He's ready for an all-out attack!"

**"All right launch the operation!"** The Third Hokage announced with authority, his voice not showing the relief for the well timed help.

"Let's go!" Said a three man team at the same time. This were non other than Shikaku Nara, the Jõnin Commander and head of the Nara clan, Inoichi Yamanaka head of the Yamanaka clan and Chõza Akimichi head of the Akimichi clan. The three of them forming the renowned Ino-Shika-Chõ team.

The entire Nara clan proceed to use their shadow manipulation jutsu and hold the Kyuubi in position.

Then Chõza Akimichi proceeded to use his multi-size jutsu, transforming all of his calories into chakra, making him as tall as the Kyuubi. He took chance of the restrainment of the demon to charge at it with a shoulder tackling.

To finalize the combo, Inoichi Yamanaka used his clan jutsu to delay a message to every ninja in the proximity.

'_Now we will launch an offensive! Get ready to attack him all at once. Everyone!'_

**"Charge!"** Yelled the Third Hokage.

Hundreds of fire balls were created at the same time...

Their destination... the Nine Tails.

Their goal... total annihilation.

The combination jutsu exploded on the Kyuubi taking him down for the first time in this battle. But not for long, as he got up and roared to the skies in rage.

**"The Hidden Leaf will not lose!"** Shouted the Third Hokage as a response to prevent panic and lit everyone's will of fire.

* * *

Meanwhile, the confrontation between Minato and the masked man was coming to a close.

Minato flashed to the other ninja and taking the chance of this opening he placed his hand on the masked man chest and performed a contract seal.

"The Kyuubi is no longer yours!" Minato announced coldly, barely in a whisper.

"Eh, it seems your title isn't just for show, Fourth Hokage."

The masked man charges at Minato, his right hand lifted... suddenly he morphs out, letting a kunai pass through him, his confident smile for his certain win. The conclusion of the battle coming to an abrupt end... an end with his victory and the Hidden Leave's crush. "I wo..."

To suddenly Minato disappears once again in a yellow flash, a rasengan in his right hand and strikes the masked man on the back.

The fight was over and Minato started making his way to finish off the stranger but something that he wasn't expecting happened. The masked man was healing at an incredible rate...

Rising slowly thanks to the injuries, the masked man makes his final threat, "I shall rule this world. There are plenty of ways to go about it." Before leaving the Hidden Leaf for good in a vortex.

* * *

After a tremendous effort from the Konoha's ninjas, the Nine Tails was finally pushed outside the village. They kept charging at him until he started making **that** jutsu again. Gathering yet again a massive amount of chakra into a ball.

But before he could gather more chakra, Minato appeared from the sky riding the head of a giant red and smoking toad. The toad fell right on top of the Nine Tail's head, stopping his deadly jutsu in the process.

Without a word, Minato jumped from the toad to the Nine Tails and teleported them both far away from the village.

And as quickly, he teleported to his wife and daughter and teleported them both aswell to safety from the falling debris of a destroyed house.

* * *

"Huf...huf...Are you ok?" Minato's blue eyes stared at Kushina's and Naruko's blue eyes.

"Minato..." Kushina's voice was weak, but her grip on their daughter couldn't be any stronger.

"Somehow I managed to get this far...But...I don't have much chakra left..."

Noticing their presence, the Nine Tails stomped his paw on the ground, making it shake as if an earthquake was happening. He then started making his way slowly to the ninjas of the Hidden Leaf.

"...I will stop him...one way or another..."

"There are things...I must protect..." Minato's still facing his family, his back turned to the Kyuubi, his left hand caressing the grass, turned into a fist and he threw away some grass as he opened his hand, the fallen grass being taken away by the wind, and turned to face the Kyuubi, as he had made his way to the couple ninja.

"And as long as I have that...I swear..." Minato clasps his hands together **"I'll never give up!"**

Suddenly a huge cloud of smoke appears between Minato and the Nine Tails. Once the smoke clears, Minato is surprised to see who shows up before him.

A fair-skinned woman with brown eyes and straight blond hair, a violet diamond shape on her forehead could only mean this woman was one of the Sannin, Tsunade Senju. Next to her was a tall and well-built man with fair skin, spiky white hair and red lines under his eyes. Jiraiya, another Sannin and more importantly, his sensei.

Alongside Jiraiya were two toads sitting on each side of his shoulders, Minato recognized them as being Fukasaku and Shima, the Two Great Sage Toads.

"Ji...Jiraiya, Tsunade..what are you two doing here?" Minato asked in a tired voice, his chakra reserves almost empty.

"Guess our surprise when we were interrupted by a toad, saying Konoha was in grave danger. We got reversed summon instantly here once I summoned Ma and Pa. Tsunade-hime, please heal them both, I will take care of this fox with the help of Ma and Pa." Jiraiya started walking slowly to the Nine Tails, his body changing its features thanks to him entering sage mode.

Tsunade rushed to heal Kushina, who looked on the verge of death, and her beautiful daughter newborn.

"Jiraya, the Nine Tails...must be sealed with the Eight Trigrams Sealing, it's our only choice." Minato spoke softly but his words were heard by everyone.

"Seal him inside of me ag..."

But before Kushina could finish the sentence, Minato interrupted her. His eyes filled with pain and sadness.

"No, you wouldn't survive it Kushina...and...and I can't live without you. Not now that we just started our family. We will seal the Kyuubi inside Naruko and we will teach her everything and show her our love...together, like we always wanted." Kushina sniffles daintily, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"...Yes...together..." She nods before succumbing to her fatigue.

"Kushina!" Minato runs to her but it's appeased by Tsunade checking her vitals.

"Don't worry, she will make it now that I am here. Rest aswell, we will take care of the rest. You should be proud of what you accomplished here today."

"Guess it's our time to work Ma...Pa... let's go!" Jiraiya said clasping his hands preparing for a battle.

"**Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld**!" A massive swamp is created underneath the Nine Tails, making him sink into it. The mud was infused with so much chakra that made it sticky, ensnaring the Nine Tails and preventing him from escaping.

"Now! **Sage Art: Goemon!**" On Shima's command Jiraiya created a large volume of oil, followed by Fukasaku performing a large Wind Release jutsu to propel the oil and Shima performing a large Fire Release jutsu to ignite it. The result was an inferno of such magnitude that the Nine Tails roared in pain. The surrounding forest was no more, everything reduced to cinders.

"This is our chance! **Shadow Clone jutsu!**" Two copies of Jiraiya appeared, one going for Naruko and the other for the fox. Once he got ready, he approached the still down Nine Tails and quickly performed the seal from the Uzumaki clan.

"**Eight Trigrams Sealing Style!**" The enormous chakra of the Nine Tails started to take shape and made its way towards the newborn Naruko. Once everything was done, Jiraiya finished it with a "Seal! "

And silence reigned. The ordeal was over and now it was time to heal, rebuild and cry for the dead ones.

* * *

**A/N:** So this was it, very cannon ish this prologue, but was only this and was kind of a test to see how writing here was. Hope you like it.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **

I don't own Naruto. It's AU so it's ok if I have Itachi and Yūgao Uzuki on team Ro right? Meh, who cares.

Another garbage chapter, don't like it, don't read. This story main goal is just so I can improve my substandard English.

Ya pairing will be NarukoxOC

And thanks.

**Chapter 2**

I wade into the river and see my tired reflection. My dark blue hair falling on my skin and my blue eyes losing its intensity.

Where do I go, I don't know. But any place is better than staying in Otogakure, the village I was born.

My first memories are of an orphanage. Everything was going decently well. We had food, a roof and a bed to call our own, but then one day everything changed.

Something happened in the village, something big. I don't know what, but people were screaming and fires were blooming.

Our orphanage didn't survive, neither did most of the occupants.

Me and a few others picked up some bags and fill them with food, cloths and portable water. The time was short, so we had to work as fast as we could possibly do.

We left the village without looking back.

Our group was composed of 4 other kids my age. One of them was my best friend, Akane. She had a long beautiful blond hair and the most green eyes that always reminded me of a precious jade stone.

"Where do we go now, Akiko?" Akane asked me in a soft whisper, the fatigue and sadness evident in her voice.

At this moment I wish I had the answers for all of her questions, but I was just as lost as her.

"I...I don't know, we need to keep walking, atleast until we find some place to stay." I answered

And so we kept walking in the maze of a forest. Non of us had any training in surviving, so we had to learn as we pressed on.

One night when we were all sleeping, I woke up to the sound of people walking over the dry leaves and twigs, but before I could react and warn the others, smoke filled our nostrils and that's the last I know of it.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of small droplets of water hitting the compact, squared windom to my right. For some time this tiny confined space has been my...home? I guess it's the closest thing I had that could be called as such.

A loud bip announces what could very well be my last day.

I get up and, as the metalic door opens, I walk towards my destiny.

While walking I reflect on the memories that brought me to this moment...

We all woke up inside a huge room, the room had no decorations at all, just a big black room, the only source of light were multiple torches on the walls.

We were all confused, distressed and most of all...afraid. Looking around I could count hundreds of small kids like me and Akane.

Suddenly a deep voice echoes in the distance, a voice that demanded attention, full and powerful.

We all looked around frantically, searching for the person that was talking but to no avail. All we saw was darkness and shadows.

The voice laughed at our misfortune and misery, telling us that we would from this day on fight for our survival. The survivors would eat and sleep, simply to fight another day, the losers would die at the hand of the survivors.

At the start no one moved, we were all stupefied about the situation. Small objects started flying, getting stuck on the floor. All of them weapons with one simple purpose. Still no one moved, no one would dare to look at one another, all eyes transfixed on the floor, on the flames...and...on the weapons.

No one knows who or how it started, the only warning we had was a scream and the sound of a body hitting the floor.

Then there was chaos.

Our senses were overloaded, the sound of battlecries, metal hiting flesh, children crying, the smell of blood and the sight of maimed bodies...corpses starting to mount up...one after the other.

I still couldn't move, until someone started running at me, an old, rusty and bloody kunai on hand. The eyes of the attacker were dull with pain and sorrow, tears falling free, mixing with the blood on his face. Was he crying for himself being in this kill or be killed situation or for the owner of the blood on his kunai? The kid's brown hair was dirty like everyone else, but the blood on it made it the slightly difference.

This was not my first time fighting, living on the orphanage, some kids had ninja training and they liked to show off to the younger kids most of the times, you're bounded to pick up something. But this..this was not a fight, this was a battle, a situation that was so surreal that my brain took an extra second to react and that second almost costed me my hand as the kid slashed his kunai at me, drawing blood. This made me hiss in pain and taking three steps back, where I found a tantõ laying on the floor. My blood splashing on the floor, but all the pain forgotten towards the madness all around me.

I tightened my grip on the weapon, the blood painting the handler, and blocked another slash from my opponent. He got frustrated and charged at me with a war cry full of despair, making me side step and stab my weapon on his chest. I watched as his eyes started to lose life, his mouth coughing blood and we exchanged looks. My blue eyes met his brown and I expected to see any kind of hate for me or fear for dying in a place like this, but the only thing I saw was regret... regret for his actions, regret for the way his short life was stolen. His last words to me would be engraved in my heart for as long as I breathed, the words still echoing today on my brain "live...".

Before I could even think on my actions and get any touch with my emotions for just killing someone my age a few seconds ago, I was already being attacked again.

Was this hell? What had I done to deserve this? Would I need to keep killing just to survive? The more I questioned myself the more people died, the more people I killed with my bare hands and this old weapon.

As I ran and slashed, a cry of a girl called my attention.

_'Akane!'_

Looking around desperately I found the source of the cry for help. A little girl with golden hair and green eyes, sitting on the floor, trying to put as much distance she could from all the pain around her. I wasn't the only one that she caught the attention off, as a kid bigger than most of us started running at her, a weapon in hand.

This made my blood boiling, and I started running aswell but to no avail, the kid was closer to Akane and in two strikes killed her, to my horror and to the horror of everyone else around that witnessed it.

All I could see was white! Akane, my only and first friend... I _failed_ to save her...

In a battlecry I charged the killer of my friend and stabbed him in the back once, twice, three times, until all I could see was blood.

This didn't make me feel any better, quite the contrary. I was as much as a killer as everyone in here. And Akane was forever gone.

Was life really worth at this point?

Then all of sudden the voice spoke again, congratulating and clapping for the "winners" and we would all now be directed to a room with a meal waiting for us and that the second round would start some time soon. And so this was our life until today, fighting, surviving, killing. The rise and fall, just that the rise was an illusion and the fall? The fall was eternal.

Getting out of my grim thoughts I noticed that my guard was on my trail, they were always there in the shadows, waiting for someone to rebel and oh, how they enjoy killing the ones that refused to fight. They made it sure no one would defy them on the very first day. However, today my guard didn't goad me like usually...strange, something was wrong, different ... and that couldn't be good in this hell.

"So aren't you betting on my death today? Or on how many people I kill? Thirteen girls or twenty boys?" I asked at my captivator, half expecting some kind of repercussion, some sort of punishment for all that I have done in the name of surviving, but to my astonishment he didn't reply, just kept walking without making any sound.

This couldn't be good... he had fresh blood on his weapon, a tantõ just like the one I ...first used...to kill someone. Someone I don't rebember among all the death this place has seen.

We arrived at the black room where all the other kids were... only five other kids. Is this all that remains? Is this sick game coming to an end? Maybe I wouldn't need to endure much more.

I sigh and step foward after my guard pushes me foward softly.

Maybe this nightmare ends tonight, for better or for worse.

Then the same deep and powerful voice echoes in the room once more.

"Welcome my little champions, this will be the final day of this selection. You might be wondering why you were picked up from various places and pitted against each other again and again and again AND AGAIN! Heheheh... Well the reason is simple, the winner will have the honor to be my assistant inside Konoha, and for that you need to be atleast slighly competent and ...oh yes I was bored, I guess. Watching you killing each other was kind of fun, my master would be very proud of you!" A man with shoulder-length white hair with a slight hint of blue and green eyes walks out of the shadows with a malicious grin. He wore a Konoha-nin attire and a forehead protector of a leaf.

"Wait, I know that attire! You're a ninja from Konoha! Ho..Wh..Are you under the Hokage orders? I though his job was to protect everyone..."Screamed one of the remaining kids, green hair and black eyes, in shock... _to protect us_,was left unsaid.

"Well, that would be telling wouldn't? Survive and maybe you will know." The man answered shrugging with an evil smile. When the bip sounded to signal the beginning of the fight, the man disappeared in a puff of smoke.

And all hell broke loose once again as the largest one charged at me, hate reflecting on his face.

_Uugh...crap._

* * *

A ninja with onyx eyes, jet-black hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail was keeping surveillance on the kids fighting, his hand strongly gripping his weapon without him even realising. It's been two weeks since his ANBU team RO and his captain Kakashi were ordered by the Hokage to investigate a case of missing children. At first it seemed imprudent to assign team Ro, one of elites teams of Konoha, to deal what could be just a case of banditism.

But the moment he first saw the sheer number of kidnapped kids and what they were being made to do was answering the whys of the need for this team. This was no mere work of bandits, someone from inside Konoha was experimenting on this kids in such a barbaric way that this could only be the work of a Konoha missing-nin ...Orochimaru.

Now they only needed proof and any leads to Orochimaru's whereabouts, and here was the problem.

They couldn't just save the kids, arrest the responsibles for interrogation and be done with it. No... they had done it before in different occasions and Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Force couldn't take anything from them, Orochimaru was too careful...too smart to let loose ends. So here they were, watching kids killing each other, kids the same age as his little brother Sasuke, kids that weren't allowed to be kids, a bit like himself.

So day after day they kept looking for clues, and kids kept dying. All of this deaths were on their hands and they knew it. Any member of the Ro team could alone save them, they had the train, the skills and certainly the motivation. But being a ninja is not easy, and being ANBU even more. Saving this ones prematurely could end up killing thousands more in the future. So, yes they endured. Endured like a shinobi.

Today would be the last day of the mission, his captain ordered so. They had all the information they could get and found the responsible for this monstrosity, a Konoha's Ninja, Misuki a chūnin responsible for teaching in the academy. He would pay for this, everyone on Ro's team were focused, they couldn't fail now, they owned it to the lost lifes of all the kids and the few survivors.

He was guarding a kid with messy, dark blue hair that swept down on his pale skin and intense blue eyes. One of the last survivors, his figure was affected by a small case of malnutrition, but his eyes were the eyes of someone who had nothing left to live for.

The kid tried to goad him, to get some type of reaction out of him, like it happened everyday that he watched with the original guard. But Itachi killed that bastard with a smooth slash on his neck, the kids wouldn't need to suffer any longer than they did.

Once reaching the dark room and having to listen to the speech of the soon to be dead man, his captain gave the orders to start the operation and put and end to this hell.

Itachi took a deep breath, and his eyes shined red with three black commas appearing...

* * *

As the large kid charged at me with his long sword, I quickly grabbed my old tantõ ready for him. To directly block such a blow from someone way bigger than me could cost me my life, so instead, I rolled under his blow and took the chance to kneed him in the guts.

"Aghh!" The large kid drops his weapon and lay his hands on his stomach. The pain being to much to keep fighting.

When I was about to give the final strike to the kid, a huge explosion happens just a few meters away.

All of sudden a different battle starts, the guards fighting some other people, people wearing animal-styled masks, and black clothing with a grey flak jacket.

Our fights stop and we watched in awe the scene before us.

This fighters used the natural elements to bend to their will, and their speed was impossible for us to keep up.

"Kill them all! Kill the kids aswell!" The man yelled and started to rush at us.

His speed was soo much greater than what we were used to. He grabbed a weapon he had on his possession, a large four-bladed weapon and quickly dispatched of four kids that never had a chance.

He then quickly glared at us and started charging once again, weapon ready to throw.

Throwing his weapon at us, I saw that the large kid was still on the floor and he would die from this strike. So gathering all my strength I tackled the large kid away from the weapon's path. Unfortunately the weapon scratched my leg, drawing blood and making me impossible to dodge anything else.

Watching this, Misuki smirked.

"Hey, you kid!" He pointed at the large kid.

"If you kill that idiot next to you, I will let you live. Maybe you can get out of this place and leave with me. Hm? What do you say?"

When the kid turned to me, catching his weapon I knew this would be my end. Looking around, the other ninjas were still fighting. I was on my own here.

As the kid started approaching me, his weapon back on his hands I lowered my head. I couldn't run, couldn't fight against these two. This is it. My end, all that effort, all that death, for what? Maybe I deserve this...

The long weapon goes up very slowly, and then, quickly coming down... to claim my life.

But then I feel something inside of me struggling, my emotions an array fighting each other, and the words stored on my heart get back to me..."**live**!"

Something inside me changes and explodes. When I next open my eyes, the weapon remains motionless on the floor, the owner on the floor aswell, bleeding, with four blue crystals stucking on his chest, another death.

All I can hear is the man laughing, sending chills on my spine.

"Yes! Yes! Aha, haahaha! A rat with some value after all. If I bring you to Orochimaru-sama, I will be rewarded beyond measures!"

He then charges at me, but I am too exhausted to even move, my councious starts slipping away from me.

But when all seems lost to me, a soft voice speaks behind me.

"It's ok, sorry that we're late. But everything will be ok now. Just rest..." I looked forward and saw four masked ninja holding an uncouscious Misuki. I looked behind me and saw a masked...kid?.

"You...you were my guard tonight, weren't you? " I asked in a low voice.

"Hm, you rebember. Yes, that was me, rest now. You're safe."

And those were the last words I heard before I fell in a deep sleep for the first time in my life.

* * *

"Uuh.." I groan as I wake up, my body hurt all over. Looking at myself, I noticed various bandages covering multiple parts of my body.

"Good you're awake. We need to talk..." A ninja with spiked grey hair commented lazily. "We need you to answer some questions before we know what to do with you,ok? Sooo, let's start!" He clapped his hands and sitted on the floor, crossing his legs.

"So, tell me..Akiko...is that right?" I nodded at him and so he continued." Right, Akiko, where are you from and how did you get caught in all this?" He gestured behind him, my curiosity got the best of me and I looked behind him, to my complete surprise, was now a ruin.

"That was the place I was being held on? " He only nodded. "I am, or was, from Otogakure, but someone attacked the village and burned the orphanage I was in. Me, my friend Aka...Akane and a couple of others gathered some things and ran away. After some time in the forest we were abducted into this madness..."

After some without anyone saying anything, the Konoha ninja spoke."Hm, we didn't hear anything about any attack at Otogakure...Sorry about your friend, but we need to ask what do you plan to do now."

"I..I...don't know. I have no family... no home. Would be better if I had just di...*_Smack*_" Before I could finish that sentence, I was sent flying and crashed against a tree, coughing blood.

"Don't finish that sentence, if you do I could easily make it true." The ninja sent me a glare that scared the crap out of me.

I just stared at him, in complete shock. I couldn't move my body, did he just broke my back?

"What do you suggest me to do then? Go to some village and beg for food? Or use what I learned here and be a bandit for the rest of my life!? Tell me! Tell me what would you do!" I started yelling at the end, not at him but not really sure why I was yelling, tears starting to form on my eyes.

The grey haired ninja took a thinking pose, his right hand scratching his face, while looking up to the sky." Well, you don't really have a good face for being a beggar, people would problably just ignore you. Wouldn't advise the bandit route either, me or my team might have to kill you. Soo... why not coming with us and be a ninja?" He ended with a small clap of hands.

'_A ninja?...Wouldn't I need to...'_ Before I could end my though I verbalized it." Wouldn't I need to kill more people, being...you know ... a ninja?"

The man looked at me, a strange look in his eye that I couldn't quite understand it.

"Are you afraid of killing?" He asked on a serious tone.

"No! Yes!... I dunno? It's complicated, I am not really afraid, it's just..."

"You would prefer not to do it." He finished for me and I could only nod at him.

"Well we're leaving in thirty, if you decide to join us come see us. If you don't show up, you won't problably see us ever again, if that's the case...good luck." With those words he disappeared in a puff of smoke, and at my side appeared a stick ... great is he mocking me now?

Taking the stick, I pulled myself up and started walking on my crutch.

* * *

Itachi and the rest of team Ro watched all the interaction with curiosity. It wasn't normal for them to pick up survivors at their missions and take them to the village, but this mission was not like any others they usually have.

Upon their captain return, Itachi frowned .

"Was that strike really necessary Kakashi-senpai? He was already pretty injured."

"Mah,mah, Itachi-kun, maybe not but he needed a wake up call, and it worked,so it's fine, right?"The man with spiky grey hair answered.

All the team shrugged and start getting ready to leave for Konoha.

"Ok team, it's time to leave. This mission was a pain." Kakashi spoke to his team, putting every scroll inside his pouch.

"We have a guest." A girl with a purple hair said in a soft voice.

All the team look at the young kid walking with a stick approaching them.

"Ok, I will go with you. But I will need a ride!" Akiko said raising his improvised crutch.

Kakashi, smirked under his mask and turned his back on Akiko.

"Hm, welcome aboard, kid!"


End file.
